Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ruby Valentine. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Ruby , appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?

As a kid/teenage, art saved my life. I was a competitive dancer & visual artist. I loved looking at beautiful images in magazines and on tumblr. However, I didn’t have any creative role models in my personal life growing up. When I entered university, I had no idea I would end up working in a creative field, because it seems unrealistic without any connections or training at the time.

For modelling, it was when I started putting myself out there in my local modelling community and sharing my self-portraits and professional photos on Instagram. Then, I got approached to collaborate with a brand through Instagram and that’s when I fell in I love with the creative process of styling and shooting alternative clothing.

When it comes to working in the beauty industry as a hair and makeup artist, that goal started after I finished my makeup certification at Sephora, where I was working part-time during school. I was also always being complimented on my vintage hair and women wanted me to do both their hair and makeup. When I moved to Montreal in 2019 after getting my bachelor’s degree in Social work, I decided to start a part-time business doing hair and makeup (specializing in vintage glamour) as well focusing on my modelling and content creation for alternative brands.

Ruby , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Ruby Valentine, I’m 28 years old and I current live in Montreal, Canada. I am an alternative pin up model, hair & makeup artist and content creator on instagram. I am also a professional social worker. I consider myself as a multifaceted artist. My modelling work is my form of self expression and a alter ego for me. I love the process of creating a look head to toe from the hair, makeup to the styling, finding the perfect location and sometimes photographer to capture the aesthetic and vision I have. Collaborating with big and also local brands gives me the opportunity to stay creative and promote businesses! I am very passionate about uplifting especially women in business, designers and artisans. I want people to know they can dress however they want, I love being different!

When it comes to being a hair and makeup artist, I love making women feel glamorous! I appreciate the relationship and connections I have built with clients and the photographers that permit me to do what I love. I am passionate about styling models and clients for photoshoots, which I have the opportunity to do often. For that I am very grateful. The core of my work is empowerment and listening to my client’s needs, being adaptable.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My audience is always growing and I hope to continue to connect with amazing creatives online. When I started content creation and posting a lot more on Instagram, I had not yet found my signature style. I was focused building a vintage and retro wardrobe, without putting much thought behind the image I was portraying: a proper sweet vintage house wife. However, in my personal life, I was far from that. When my style started to shift more gothic vintage and I started to embrace my dark femininity, that’s when I started to grow a lot more on Instagram. I believe people knew this was my genuine look and liked the way it suited me.

What can society do to ensure an environment that’s helpful to artists and creatives?

I think the best way to support artists online is by interacting with them on their preferred platform to show your love! Also, personally I would much rather support a local artisan, artist or designer, instead of shopping on a big website like Amazon. I always strive to support people’s dreams and I love spending my money encouraging artists I admire to help them thrive in their creative pursuit. It makes me happy to know the person will be getting rewarded for their talent and dedication.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.rubyvalentine.ca
• Instagram: @missrubyvalentine

Image Credits
All photos by @franklam.photography